Football betting has become a favourite pastime for sports lovers hoping to cash in on their favourite team as well as for online punters looking to raise the stakes by betting on the world’s most famous sport. The activity has become increasingly popular that new betting sites for football are popping up all over the web, giving players more accessibility than ever before. These online bookies offer a variety of betting odds and markets to cater for all fans, including those for Leeds United, one of the most raved about teams of all time. Walk with us as we provide you with a brief history of this popular side and how it became a striking force in the world of football.

Where it All Started for Leeds United FC

Leeds United Football Club was formally established in 1919 as a result of the collapse of Leeds City FC. This is also the very year that the team experienced its first game which took place in November 1919. Directly after this, the club joined the Football Leagues in May 1920 as part of its Second Division and their first fixture saw the team facing Port Vale, with Leeds United losing 2-0. During the 1920-21 season, Arthur Fairclough replaced Dick Ray as team manager and with his help, managed to take 14th place.

The duration of the 1920s saw many difficulties for the club, as they only got to taste top flight status in the following 1932/33 season, where they remained until 1939. The team faced a few challenges along the way up until the point when Don Revie stepped in as manager in 1961. The club finally had some real success thanks to Revie's decision to strengthen the team's output with the addition of footballers Jack Charlton and Billy Bremner, two of the best players of the 1960s and 1970s. Under Revie’s management, Leeds United went on to qualify for a number of competitions and won several titles, including the FA Cup, the Charity Shield, and some more European trophies before he left in 1974.

An unforeseen change came about in the 1980s as United’s 17-year long stay at the top ended with the team facing relegation to Division II, where they remained over the following eight years. It was only in 1990 that Howard Wilkinson helped raise the team back to top ranks. Wilkinson guided the side to their first victories after an unsuccessful period, and then in 1996, they went on to experience even more success in match winnings. Another change for Leeds was the replacement of Wilkinson who had George Graham take over, although he left after two years to join Tottenham before David O’Leary was appointed. During O’ Leary’s career, we've witnessed the team's success at the UEFA Championships League against Europeans giants Barcelona and AC Milan, where they reached the semi-finals.

The Millennium-A Rollercoaster Ride For Leeds

The early 2000s saw some more adjustments kick in, with Dennis Wise being appointed team manager in October 2006. Sadly, in just a year, Leeds United's progress was dampened with underperformance, having them relegate in 2007. After a financially stressful period, the 2007/08 season commenced with the team being 15 points behind, but as luck would have it, Leeds United FC won their first seven games for a brief top spot in December in 07. The club was taken over by former captain Gary McAllister, but despite fine early season form, Leeds United failed to recover from five consecutive defeats and McAllister was given the boot. Hereafter, Simon Grayson, ex- Blackpool manager, joined the team and led them on an victorious streak in the later stages of the season. During the 2009/10 period, Leeds United FC won a record-breaking eight straight wins in all the matches played.

Grayson exited in January 2012, when Neil Warnock stepped in as his replacement. Warnock left after a short period, who was then replaced by Neil Redfearn, and finally by Reading boss Brian McDermott, who became an instant hit. By January 2014, however, the club was up for sale once again, with Massimo Cellino taking over in April 2014. This subsequently led to the departure of McDermott and the addition of David Hockaday as head coach. Hockeday’s tenure was cut short after a 4-1 defeat and the team experienced ups and downs until German coach, Uwe Rosler, was introduced to take Leeds through significant changes on and off the pitch. Further to this, we have seen even more transformations in management with Steve Evans in 2016, Garry Monk in 2017 and now Thomas Christiansen.